Computer science

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Computer science deals with the theoretical foundations of information and computation, together with practical
techniques for the implementation and application of these foundations

Computer science is the scientific and practical approach tocomputation and its applications. It is
the systematic study of the feasibility, structure, expression, and mechanization of the
methodicalprocedures (or algorithms) that underlie the acquisition, representation, processing,
storage, communication of, and access toinformation, whether such information is encoded as bits in
a computer memory or transcribed in genes and protein structures in a biologicalcell.[1] An alternate,
more succinct definition of computer science is the study of automating algorithmic processes that
scale. A computer scientist specializes in the theory of computation and the design of computational
systems.[2]
Its subfields can be divided into a variety of theoretical and practical disciplines. Some fields, such
as computational complexity theory(which explores the fundamental properties of computational and
intractable problems), are highly abstract, while fields such ascomputer graphics emphasize realworld visual applications. Still other fields focus on the challenges in implementing computation. For
example, programming language theory considers various approaches to the description of
computation, while the study of computer programming itself investigates various aspects of the use
ofprogramming language and complex systems. Humancomputer interaction considers the
challenges in making computers and computations useful, usable, and universally accessible to
humans.
Contents
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1 History
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1.1 Contributions
2 Philosophy

2.1 Name of the field

3 Areas of computer science

3.1 Theoretical computer science

3.1.1 Theory of computation

3.1.2 Information and coding theory

3.1.3 Algorithms and data structures

3.1.4 Programming language theory

3.1.5 Formal methods

3.2 Applied computer science

3.2.1 Artificial intelligence

3.2.2 Computer architecture and engineering

3.2.3 Computer performance analysis

3.2.4 Computer graphics and visualization

3.2.5 Computer security and cryptography

3.2.6 Computational science

3.2.7 Computer networks

3.2.8 Concurrent, parallel and distributed systems

3.2.9 Databases

3.2.10 Software engineering

4 The great insights of computer science

5 Academia

6 Education

7 See also

8 Notes

9 References

10 Further reading

11 External links